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Arnold
Clark-Thistle Hotels Snowman Rally - 18th Feb '06
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COUNTY SAAB SCOTTISH RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 1-ARNOLD CLARK THISTLE HOTELS
SNOWMAN RALLY
Reigning Scottish Rally champion Barry Johnson
added another win to his collection at the start of
the 2006 County Saab Scottish championship in
Inverness today (Saturday).
Johnson, of County Durham, dedicated the win on the
Arnold Clark Thistle Hotels Snowman Rally to his
dad, who died suddenly yesterday (Friday) at the age
of 83.
It was a poignant moment at the end of a day’s
rallying in the Highlands – which saw thousands of
spectators lining the roads on every stage. Speaking
at the champagne spraying this afternoon Johnson
said: “I’d like to dedicate this one to my dad.”
Johnson, partnered by Stewart Merry in the Ex-Petter
Solberg Subaru Impreza World Rally Car, finished 38
seconds ahead of second placed Malcolm Proudlock.
Proudlock, of Dumfries and also out in a Subaru
Impreza, with co-driver Steven Clark of Elgin, were
delighted to finish second on the first round of the
year. Proudlock finished runner-up in the County
Saab backed series last year and said: “This is a
convincing and encouraging start to the new year.
The stages out there today were very slippy – in
some places it was worse than ice. We went for three
miles in one of the stages thinking we had a
puncture, but it was just because it was so
slippy.”
Aberdeen’s Dave Weston and Neil Shanks, of Elgin, in
the Ford Focus WRC, rounded off the top three –
three seconds behind Proudlock.
Fourth place went to top local hope, Jimmy Girvan,
of Inverness, in the Mitsubishi Evo – who also takes
the top Group N place. Girvan, who went off badly
earlier in the day puncturing both tyres on the
co—drivers side and causing a lot of damage to the
back struts, was pleased to recover and take fourth.
Taking fifth place was Glasgow’s Alan Dickson with
co-driver Martin Forrest, of Aberdeen. The pair were
hoping for a top three slot today but were pleased
to reach the end and take some points after
suffering gear problems for most of the day.
Sixth place went to Greenock’s Andy Kelly, with
co-driver Doug Redpath from Duns, beside him. The
pair were out for the first time in their new car –
a Mitsubishi Evo 8 – and were delighted with their
result.
“We were just getting used to the car today as it is
the first time we have been out in it competitively.
It is a bit different from the Mitsubishi Evo 4 from
last year but we are really enjoying it.”
Neale Dougan, of Ayr and title sponsors County Saab,
took seventh place. Dougan was looking set for a top
three place earlier but suffered badly with
punctures on the later stages. He said: “We are just
getting used to being back in the car after some
time out..but we are enjoying it.”
Top female on the day went to Oban’s Linda Allan,
co-driven by Louise Sutherland, in a Mitsubishi Evo
4. 21st overall was a good result for the
pair – who were out for the first time in the new
car – the ex-Andy Kelly car.
The prize for the top 2-wheel drive went to the
entertaining Willie Stuart and Heather McKenzie in
the MkII Escort. The pair were charging all day and
took 14th overall.
Alistair Tough, of Inverness, was one of the
unfortunate casualties of the event – going off on
stage two after hitting a tree head on at 80mph.
Tough and his co-driver were okay but the accident
put an end to their event. It was the first time
Tough was out in his new car, which was on its
rallying debut. It was a disappointing end to the
first round of the season for Tough.
The next round of the SRC is the Brick and Steel
Border Counties Rally on Saturday March 18 in
Jedburgh.
ARNOLD CLARK-THISTLE HOTELS SNOWMAN RALLY TOP TEN
(Provisional)
1. Barry Johnson County
Durham 45mins36secs
2. Malcolm Proudlock
Dumfries 46.14
3. Dave Weston
Aberdeen 46.17
4. Jimmy Girvan
Inverness 47.00
5. Alan Dickson
Glasgow 47.07
6. Andy Kelly
Greenock 47.48
7. Neale Dougan Ayr
48.02
8. Barry Groundwater Hawick
48.11
9. Tristan Pye County
Durham 48.20
10. Alistair Thorburn
Duns 48.48
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